The present invention relates generally to commercial/industrial washing, drying, dyeing and like laundry machines, and more particularly, to a commercial laundry machine having a hopper that facilitates loading of launderable items into the machine prior to a laundry cycle.
Commercial/industrial laundry machines typically are large in size (i.e., 100 to 1200 pound in capacity) for laundering large amounts of items simultaneously. Apart from the actual laundering cycles, i.e. for example, the washing and extract cycles, a substantial amount of time is consumed in loading large quantities of items to be laundered into the laundry machine. As will be appreciated, the time consumed in loading the laundry machine restricts the actual operating time. Thus, the time associated with loading the laundry machine has a significant impact on the operational efficiency of the commercial laundry facility.
One common method of loading commercial laundry machines involves transporting bag-like slings containing launderable items along an overhead sling conveyance system to a position above the laundry machine and then opening the sling to drop the launderable items into the laundry machine. To facilitate such loading, it is known, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,772 (hereinafter the xe2x80x9c""772 patentxe2x80x9d), to tilt the front opening end of the laundry machine drum upwardly from a normal horizontally-oriented operating position and to utilize a chute-like hopper to guide items into the drum as they are released by the overhead sling. The hopper, which is in the form of a rectangular cross section trough, includes a splash door mounted within the hopper for pivotal movement between an open position which permits items to pass through the hopper into the drum opening and a closed position covering the drum opening during a washing cycle after the drum is returned to its horizontal position. Following completion of a laundering cycle, the hopper is moved away from the front of the laundry machine drum to enable unloading of the laundered items by tilting of the front opening end of the drum in a downward direction.
Unfortunately, the prior art arrangement disclosed in the aforesaid ""772 patent does not appreciably shorten the loading cycle time. In fact, the hopper unit restricts the drum opening through which the launderable items are introduced into the drum. In commercial laundry machines made pursuant to the ""772 patent, the effective opening or passageway of the hopper, as defined by the smallest cross-sectional area through the hopper, has been found to be less than 50 percent of the area of the drum opening. Moreover, since typically as many as six 200 pound slings of launderable items can be required to fill a commercial washer, sequencing of the slings to the unloading position and directing the items into the laundry machine can be very time consuming. Heretofore, up to 35-50 percent of the time necessary for completing a laundering operation can be occupied by loading the machine.
Use of loading hoppers in conventional commercial laundry machines, furthermore, has been problem prone. Items introduced into the hopper during loading can catch upon or fall behind the splash door, which can impede its operation. Items also can hang up in the hopper and the splash door if water is not continually sprayed down the hopper to assist in moving the items into the drum, which can result in raising the liquid within the drum above the programmed level and necessitate a drainage cycle prior to start of washing. Wet items piled in the hopper further can require the splash door actuating mechanism to incur excessive stresses in causing the splash door to forcefully push items hung up in the hopper into the drum opening as an incident to closing, or alternatively, an employee must climb up on the machine to manually force the items into the laundry machine. With the splash door pivot mounting exposed to water and chemicals, films also can build up which impede movement of the splash door, while dirt and soil can accumulate in the hopper behind the door.
Moreover, during the extract cycle of operation, i.e. the high speed spin cycle that forces liquid from laundered items following a wash cycle, the machine can experience extensive vibrations, particularly if the laundry load becomes out of balance. Indeed, during the extract cycle,. items rotating within the laundry machine can be exposed to forces up to 300 times gravity. While it is known to support the laundry machine on inflated bags during the extract cycle for better isolating the machine from the floor, since the hopper is mounted on the laundry machine, it still can be subjected to such severe vibrations as to cause structural failure to the hopper, or its support and actuating mechanisms.
Problems further have been incurred in maintaining the hopper in a securely closed and sealed condition against the laundry machine housing during the washing operation as is necessary in order to prevent leakage of the washing fluid. It is known to use hopper locking devices which include cams that force the hopper into engagement with an interposed sealing gasket. Such cam actuated devices tend to over compress the gasket causing a permanent set. The cams also can incur wear. The combined effect is that over time the cam locking devices can develop a looseness to the extent that leakage about the door can occur and machine vibrations ultimately can cause the loose camming device to forcefully strike and break adjacently mounted proximity switches intended to monitor the locked condition of the hopper.
Since the loading hoppers of conventional laundry machines are relatively massive, problems further have been incurred in reliably raising the hopper to an unloading position following a laundry cycle. While it is desirable to pivot the hopper at least 90 degrees away from the front face of the laundry machine so as not to impede the discharge of items during unloading, heretofore this has required costly and complex operating mechanisms. For example, proposals for raising the hopper by means of large actuating cylinders mounted in front of the laundry machine impede access to the machine and movement of unloading conveyors in front of the laundry machine. Efforts to locate actuating cylinders on the machine itself, and at locations that do not impede access to the machine or increase the floor footprint or height of the machine, have not been found to be effective or reliable in lifting and retaining the heavy hopper unit.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a commercial laundry machine having a loading hopper designed to substantially reduce the loading time, and hence, substantially improve operating efficiency of the laundry machine. In this regard, a more particular object is to provide a commercial laundry machine having a loading hopper effective for reducing the loading time by more than half and for improving the overall machine productivity of the laundry machine by 25 percent or more.
Another object is to provide a commercial laundry machine as characterized above which is adapted for directing larger quantities of items into the laundry machine drum during loading. In this regard, it is an object to provide a commercial laundry machine in which the hopper is effective for receiving launderable items from much larger loading slings so as to reduce by up to 50 percent the number of slings that must be handled during loading of the laundry machine.
A further object is to provide a commercial laundry machine having a hopper with a splash door which when in an open position neither restricts the size of the access opening to the laundry machine drum, nor impedes movement of goods introduced into the hopper. A related object is to provide such a commercial laundry machine and hopper in which the splash door, in fact, facilitates direction of goods into the hopper and laundry machine drum.
Another object is to provide a commercial laundry machine having a hopper with a design that facilitates transfer and direction of launderable items into the laundry machine during loading and which reduces stress concentrations and structural failures in the hopper during usage.
Still another object is to provide a commercial laundry machine having a hopper lifting device that neither impedes access to the machine, nor movement of unloading conveyors in front of the machine. In this regard, it is an object to provide a hopper lifting device that is effective for reliably pivoting the hopper unit at least 90 degrees with respect to the front face of the laundry machine, while not increasing the floor footprint or height of the machine. Yet another object is to provide a commercial laundry machine having a loading hopper locking mechanism adapted for more reliable long term operation in securely retaining the hopper in sealed relation to a front face of the laundry machine during laundering cycles.
A further object is to provide an improved sealing arrangement between the hopper unit and machine housing effective for preventing transmission of vibrations between the housing and hopper unit during extract cycles of operation.
Another object is to provide a commercial laundry machine having a removable loading hopper designed to minimize the need for water to facilitate direction of goods through the hopper into the laundry machine, and hence, eliminate the need for a liquid drainage cycle prior to a washing operation.
A further object is to provide a commercial laundry machine having a loading hopper which is less susceptible to the undesirable accumulation or build up of dirt and grime in the hopper after prolonged usage. A related object is to provide such a commercial laundry machine having a liquid spray arrangement adapted for more effectively maintaining the hopper in clean condition.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings, in which: